Ball-bearing drilling-swivel



(No Model.)

BALL BEARING DRILLING SWIVEL.

No. 521,942. Patented June 26,1894. Y

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ing tool, fwhereb'y the :f "twistpf-the rope'orf Y cable may be utilizedfor automatically trans- WILLIAM WALLACE SWAN, vor ANDovER,soUri-i'DAKorA.

SPECIFICATIONffo-rrning part of Letters Patent No. 521,942, dated June26, 1894.

n Application iiled August 14, `1,8 9,3., Serial No. 483,133. (No modelev v .To aZZlwhom-.i-t morgana/cern):

. This invention relates to ball bearing drilling swivels; and it hasfor itsjobject ,to provide a drilling swivel adaptedto form the con-VV vnection between the Alower end of a' drilling rope; or cable andtlieupper end o'f the dril1= mitting `motion to the, drilling tool, andtherebyturn the same in the hole being drilled, in

order to keep the holefround and straight, and withthis .in view theswivel is especially adapted for `use in connection with cable rigs fordrillingwells, whether such rigs use steel, iron, manila, or hempstrand-cables.

This invention is alsodesigned for, and can be used to the saineadvantage, with well machinery using iron rods, wooden poles, or gaspipe in place of rope, by using a short piece of rope one foot or morein length, between the rods and swivel,'or between 4the swivel andwalking beam or machinery. In this way the same result is accomplishedas with rope or cable. 2'

\ Heretofore in drilling by the ordinary methods, it has alwaysbeennecessary for a manv to stand and turn the'drillby hand` at each andevery strokeinorder to keep the hole` round and straight.A This hasalways been a very tedious and unreliable method, whereby my inventionsecures lthe same result automatically, and at the same time makesitpossible andpracticable to substitute wire rope in theplace of manila orhemp rope, which has before proven unsuccessful owing to the stiffnessof the wire rope andthe difficulty experieucedin coiling and uncoilingthe same while twisting by hand on the rope for the purpose of turningthe drill.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear asy thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thevnovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

' In the accompanying` drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation partlyinsection of a drilling swivel constructed in accordance with thepresent invention. Fig.2 is a central lougitudinalsectional view of theswivel showing the same coupled to the lowerend of a drill B, adapted toreceive the upper threaded end: ofany ordinary drilling vtool stememployed' for drilling wells. 3 The said swivel casingjor shell A, isprovidedat its upper end witha i i ce vshell having a lower interiorlythreaded end stuffing box C, adapted to contain any su-ity able packingheld `therein by the gland D,v which is clamped onto the upper end ofthe, casing or shell by the cap nut E, engaging'- flethe upperexteriorly threaded neck F, of the casing or shell, which is furtherprovided ati. a point therein below the stuffing box with an interiorshoulder G, surrounding a cenrtrally disposed opening H, formed in thebody of the casing or shell at the baseofthe stuffing box and looselyaccommodatingthe swivel rod I. The swivel rod I, turns loosely inthecentral bearing opening H,gand projecting through and above `thestuffing Vbox is pro vided with an upper exteriorly threaded end Jremovably screwed into the rope socket K, 1

which is fitted onto the lower end of the drilling rope L, which maybeformed of strands of metal orother suitable material, and is designed tobe operatedby'the ordinary well drilling apparatus. The swivel rod I,while free to turn within the swivel casing or shell,

and vice versa, -has a perfectly water-tight connection with such casingor shell, so that in drilling holes water or oil cannot possibly gainaccess into the ,shell or casing and thereby interfere with the freeworking ofthe swivel. TheV swivel rod I, terminates at its IOC M, andthe shonlderG, are arranged the sep l mit the rope to quickly turn ortwist back to arate superposed bearing rings N. The sep arate bearingrings N, loosely embrace the turning swivel rod I, and one of said ringsrests flat against the interior shoulder G, of the swivel casing orshell. The said bearing rings are adapted to be slightly separated fromeach other, and are provided in their opposing faces with the roundedface bear-l ing grooves, O, which together form a circular bearing spaceaccommodating a series of steel bearing balls I, which have a bearing lcontact in the grooves of both ot the superposed bearing rings, and byreason of the ball bearing just described the turning of the swivelcasing or shell and the swivel rod is rendered free and easy. i

dntermediateof the rod head 1M, land the` lower one lret the bearingrings N, is located a cylindrical *clutch Ahub Q. The cylindrical lclutclhlhub Q, is keyed to the lower end of` the redI, above its head,and is provided in 1 the' periphery thereof with a series of cam*grooves R, having inclilned'bases S, and curved l ends T. Thelsaid camgroovesR, formed in g the sides or "periphery ojt theicllutch'hnb (2,areadaptedtoaccommodate therein the clon l gated lfriction or 4clutchrollers adapted to l roll yon the inclined bases Lol the 1grooves,aln`di to clutch with the inner sides of the swivel,i casing or shell `or tofreely `'roll against thel same according ito the twist of` the rope LlVertical cylindrical springs V, are located in l the widened ends `ofthecam grooves, andare l provided with 4overlapping "edges @,one of iwhich edges contacts with one side of thel friction or clutch rollers U,and serves ltohold the same in contact with both the i-nclinedl -basesof the cam grooves andthe inside ofi the casing 1orlshell, whereby suchrollers will quickly clutch with the casing or shell andi prevent anylost motion.

New it is well understood that when a weight is attached to one end of asuspended rope "composed of strands, such weight will causo the rope totwist or turn in a 'direction which would tend to lengthen the same lout by unraveling, and again supposing such weight to be eased oft fromthesame rope, the latter would quickly twist or turn backagain l to itsnormal condition. Now, this potential energy contained in the twist ofthe rope is relied on to operate the herein described swivel, it beingapparent that the .weight of the swivel and the drilling tool will causethe drilling 4rope to twister turn so as to impartf motion to the swivelrod I. The turning of,` the `swivel rod in one direction turns the hub"Q, therewith, so that the friction or clutch rollers will clutch withthe sides of the swivel casing or shell and turn the same so that thedrilling tool will be turned within the hole. In drilling, there is aninstant or period in i every stroke at which time `the entire weight lof the drill and tools is taken oit' of the rope. During this period orinstant, the clutch or ratchet devices will be inactive so as to peritsnormal condition. This operation is re peated during each and everystroke.

The operation just described is rendered effective b y reason of thefact that the weight of the tools employed in drilling is ordinarilysufficient to cause the length of drilling rope or cable to untwist withsufficient energy to turn such drilling tools in the well, and 1t willof course be understood by those skilled in the art that it is notnecessary to give the drilling bit much vof a turn atieach stroke, forit is simply necessary to turn the same suiliciently, however slight, soas to shlft its po sition and thereby direct its downward stroke againstanother partorportionof the bottom tomatically and thereby insure theround-and straight drilling of the `lhole, fand the `proper sh il tingot the bit to `prevent it trom strilkiln g twice `on the same lpoinlt:lllt is lto be tuiithler of the well. This operationwillcontinue au- 8noted that this anrmnatieoperaton lmayb'e l depended `upon Stor thereason that lsirree `the drilling swivel is connected `direotlywith'thedrilling tool and `suspended lfremlth'e lower end ofthedrilling.ropecrumble, lsudeh swivel and drilling `tool willnecessarilylmorelcpuliciely respond to the torsionof theulrepe'orfcable,and since, at the moment the hilt strikes titre bottom of thevvel'lfthe` rope or 'cable lis relieved of `its weight and quicklyfresurnres its normal twist, it will rbe 'clear that `when the rope orcable commences the `up lstroke, the entire weigh-t of thetoolswilll beagalinlplaced thereon and will cause it to lulntwistlas falreadydescribed. y,

Changes in the form, proportion and lthe minordetailso construction maybe resorted to without departing from lthe principieel' sacrilcingany ofthe advantages et `*this rnvention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired "tobesecured by ltetters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a well drilling rope or cable; of acylindricaldrillifng swivelfadapted to have one of its members suspendedfrom the lower end of said rope and itsother member connected to thefdril'ling tool, 'said swivel being adapted Ito turn bodily with thedrilling rope as the same untwists in response to `the suspended weightthereon, substair tially as set forth.

2. In a drilling `swivel for well drilling apparatus,a cylindricalswivel casing or shell having a "tool socket at one end adapted ltoreceive oneend ofthe drillingto'ol, afswivel rod mounted inside `ol saidcasinglorshell'and connected at its `outer end to the lower yend of thedrilling rope, orcable, and la ratchetor clutch device mounted inside ofthe cyllindrical casing and adapted to hold the latter tighten the rod,when the rope twists inon'e direction, substantially as set forth.

3. In a drilling swivel for well drilling alp?n paratus, a cylindricalswivel casing `or `shell having a tool socket at one end and a stuling ioo I box at its other end, al swivel rod inounted within the casing, andadapted to-be sus-A pended from the lower end ofl the drilling Vrope orcable, interior ball bearings for the shoulder, a swivel rodijournaledin *.the in closed casing or'shell and having aV headl at lts lnnerend,'separate removable superposed bearingringsarranged insideof thecasing and onefof' which-rests iiat againstithe 'inte` rior shoulderthereof, said bearing rings having-opposing roundedk face bearingfgrooves,. f

I and/held-intheir relative-positions by the disposition-of the swivelrod-head thereunder, y

5.A In a drill swivel, the cylindrical "swivel casingorshell having aVtool socket at one end, a swivel rod journaled in the casing or shelland terminating at itsr inner vend ina head, a clutch hub keyed to theswivel rod at one sidekoi:` its head and vprovided with aperipheralfseries of open inclined cam grooves having curved ends,elongated vertically dis-v posed friction or clutch rollers arrangedwithin. said camgrooves, VAand vertical cylindrical springs located inone of the curved ends of said ygrooves and normally bearing at one andbearing .balls arranged between ,thel two 'bearingrings, substantiallyas set forth.

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side'of saidl rollers, substantially as set forth. f

. In testimonythat I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixedmy signature in the lpresence of two witnesses. i l s 1 WILLIAM WALLACESWAN. Witnesses:v l'

GEO. E. BRYANT, FRED G. STICKLES. y

